Mandate and Functions

The functions of the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF) are derived from the Constitution of the Republic of Uganda, the Local Governments Act (1997) and the Public Service Reform Programme (PSRP). The role of MAAIF is to create an enabling environment in the Agricultural Sector by performing the following functions:

Key Functions

• Formulate, review and implement national policies, plans, strategies, regulations and standards and enforce laws, regulations and standards along the value chain of crops, livestock and fisheries.
• Control and manage epidemics and disasters, and support the control of sporadic and endemic diseases, pests and vectors.
• Regulate the use of agricultural chemicals, veterinary drugs, biological, planting and stocking materials as well as other inputs; Support the development of infrastructure and use of water for agricultural production along livestock, crop and fisheries value chains.
• Establish sustainable systems to collect, process, maintain and disseminate agricultural statistics and information.
• Support provision of planting and stocking materials and other inputs to increase production and commercialization of agriculture for food security and household income
• Develop public infrastructure to support production, quality / safety assurance and value-addition along the livestock, crop and fisheries commodity chains.
• Monitor, inspect, evaluate and harmonize activities in the agricultural sector including local governments.
• Strengthen human and institutional capacity and mobilize financial and technical resources for delivery of agricultural services.
• Develop and promote collaborative mechanisms nationally, regionally and internationally on issues pertaining to the sector.
• In addition to the above major functions, MAAIF has the following seven Agencies responsible for the following delegated functions
• National Agricultural Research Organisation (NARO)-for generation and dissemination of research technologies.
• National Agricultural Advisory Services (NAADS) for delivery of advisory services; National Animal Genetic Resource Centre and Data Bank (NAGRC&DB) for animal genetic development.
• Coordinating Office for the Control of Trypanasomiasis in Uganda (COCTU).

Key Outputs

• National policies, strategies, plans, regulations and standards formulated, reviewed and implemented; laws, regulations and standards along the value chain of crops, livestock and fisheries enforced.
• Epidemics/disasters, sporadic and endemic diseases, pests and vectors controlled and managed.
• Use of agricultural chemicals, veterinary drugs, biological, planting and stocking materials as well as other inputs regulated.
• Infrastructure and use of water for agricultural production along livestock, crop and fisheries value chains developed and supported.
• Sustainable systems to collect, process, maintain and disseminate agricultural statistics established.
• Provision of planting and stocking materials and other inputs to increase production and commercialization of agriculture for food security and household income supported.
• Infrastructure to support production, quality/ safety assurance and value-addition along the livestock, crop and fisheries commodity chains developed.
• Activities in the agricultural sector including local governments monitored, inspected, evaluated and harmonized.
• Human and institutional capacity strengthened and financial and technical resources for delivery of agricultural services mobilized.
• National, regional and international collaborative mechanisms on issues pertaining to the sector developed and promoted; The seven semi-autonomous bodies are responsible for the outputs related to the key functions delegated to them.
• Diary Development Authority (DDA) for promotion of Dairy development.
• Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) for promotion of coffee development.
• Cotton Development Organisation (CDO) for promotion of cotton development

Strategic Objectives

• To initiate the formulation and review of the policy and legal framework for the sector
• To establish and implement systems for service provision in the sector
• To strengthen and implement strategies, regulatory framework, standards, institutional structures and infrastructure for quality assurance and increased quantities of agricultural products to access and sustain local, regional and export markets
• To design and implement sustainable capacity building programmes for stakeholders in the agricultural sector through training, re-tooling, infrastructure, provision of logistics and ICT
• To develop strategies for sustainable food security
• To develop appropriate agricultural technologies for improved agricultural production, productivity and value addition through research
• To develop effective collaborative mechanisms with affiliated institutions and
• To take lead and establish a system and institutional framework for agricultural data collection, analyses, storage and dissemination to stakeholders including Uganda Bureau of Statistics.

Government Of Uganda